The Department for Education has claimed 41 ‘struggling’ Birmingham primary schools are making progress after converting to academies in the last two years.
Government figures revealed that 645 under-performing primaries across the country have been converted to academies under new sponsors since the start of 2012.
Sponsored academies are those removed from council control and backed by organisations such as education trusts, private companies, religious groups or even other, more successful schools.
And the Department claims that sponsored academies have improved by an average of three percentage points in school league tables compared to one per cent across the board.
A Department for Education spokesman said: “The best way to turn around the stubborn under-performance that exists in some schools is to bring in a sponsor.
"These sponsors bring with them experience, strong leadership, know-how – and a track record of success.
“It is vital we continue to raise standards so all children leave primary school with a thorough grounding in reading, writing and maths so they can thrive at secondary school.”
The 645 stuggling schools now under sponsors includes, as well as 41 in Birmingham, six in Walsall, one each in Dudley and Solihull, two in Sandwell, three in Wolverhampton, ten in Warwickshire, three in Worcestershire and ten in Staffordshire.
The academy scheme has recently come under fire from teaching unions and critics who claim that schools are operating outside of public oversight and regulation.
Controversies include the Al-Madinah free school in Derby, which is being taken over after being accused of financial mismanagement and inadequate teaching, plus the appointment and swift resignation of Analiese Briggs, a 27-year-old with no teaching qualifications, as head of Pimlico Primary in London.
There have also been concerns that academies and free schools are not required to employ qualified teaching staff, nor are required to sell healthy food only to children - as other schools are.
In November the Government announced a new system of regional regulation to answer criticism that academies and free schools were given too much free rein and lacking oversight.
Although no longer overseeing academies, Birmingham City Council has recently helped set up an education partnership between schools and the council to work together on improving education standards.
A council spokeswoman said: “We want to see excellent performance across the city and ensure all our young people have the best start in life.
"We continue to work with our outstanding head teachers who are either national leaders in education or local leaders in education, with our outstanding schools supporting other schools, in order to secure further improvement for all our schools.”
• In December, it was reported that Birmingham was facing a primary school crisis with an extra 10,000 places required in the city by 2019 .
West Midlands primary schools to have converted to academies
Birmingham
Al-Furqan Primary School
Chivenor Junior and Infant School
Colmers Farm Junior School
Foundry Primary School
Lozells Junior and Infant School and Nursery
Primrose Hill Community School
Tindal Junior and Infant School
Billesley Primary School
Chilwell Croft Primary School
City Road Primary School
Erdington Hall Primary School
Four Dwellings Primary School
Grestone Primary School
Hawkesley CofE/Methodist Primary School
Kings Rise Community Primary School
Ridpool Primary and Nursery School
Mansfield Green Community School
Trescott Primary School
Montgomery Primary School
Moor Green Primary
Nansen Primary School
Nechells Junior and Infant School (NC)
Blakenhale Infant School
Blakenhale Junior School
Matthew Boulton Community Primary School
Hobmoor Primary School
Short Heath Primary School
Woodview Primary School
Percy Shurmer Primary School
Reaside Junior School
Slade Junior and Infant School
St Clement's Church of England Primary School
St George's CofE Junior and Infant School
St George's Church of England Primary School
St John's Ladywood Church of England Primary School
St Michael's CofE Junior and Infant School
Tame Valley Community School
Shirestone Community Primary School
Tiverton Junior and Infant School
Woodhouse Primary School
Yarnfield Primary School
Dudley
Bramford Primary School
Sandwell
Galton Valley Primary School
George Betts Primary School
Solihull
St James Church of England Voluntary Aided Junior School
Staffordshire
Heath Hayes Primary School
New Provision (Beaconside Primary School)
Norton Canes Primary School
Silverdale Primary School
Springhill Primary School
Anglesey Primary School
Churchfields Primary School
Greenacres Primary School
Maryhill Primary School
Walsall
Birchills Church of England Primary Community School
Croft Community Primary School
Harden Primary School
Bentley Drive Primary School
Green Rock Primary School
North Walsall primary School
Warwickshire
Henry Hinde Junior School
Queens CofE Academy
Wood End Primary School
Dordon Community Primary School
Oakfield Primary School
Park Lane Primary School Nursery and Parents' Centre
Race Leys Junior School
Racemeadow Primary School
Newbold Riverside Primary School
The Nethersole CofE Primary School
Wolverhampton
St Jude's Church of England Primary School
St Mary and St John Catholic Primary School
Woden Primary School
Worcestershire
The Harry Taylor First School
Perry Wood Primary and Nursery School
Warndon Primary School